Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Problems
None

Factoids
- Season 5 begins a trend of very cool episode names. Granted there were a few creepy cool episode names before this one, I like to officially designate this as the first such episode.

Remarkable Scenes
- Kira telling Dukat who the father of her child is. I love the confused look he gets on his face when she tells him O'Brien, a married man, is the father of her child. :)
- Sisko, O'Brien, and Odo as Klingons.
- Bashir and Kira arguing about her pregnancy.
- Worf training his crewmembers on how to act Klingon.
- Dukat destroying a Klingon Bird of Prey.
- Klingons bragging about killing Starfleet officers. One Klingon mentions killing a Tellarite and a Benzanite. Sisko attacks him "because he's in the way of his blood wine" but really because the captain of that ship was his friend.
- Martok seeing something familiar in O'Brien.
- Martok discovering the intruders when Sisko is nominated for an award.
- Odo discovering that Martok is the Changeling.
- Hoards of Klingons killing the impostor Martok.
- Morn Appearances; 1. Just after the opening credits.

My Review
Odo is feeling sorry for himself now that he's no longer a Changeling. Starfleet is planning to expose the fact that Gowron is a Changeling. Sisko is stuck with the job of implementing this plan. Their spy mission doesn't go precisely as planned; because Martok is the Changeling, not Gowron. Despite a distinct lack of lines, this is really Odo's episode, not anyone else's. For he has regained his confidence in this episode. He may no longer be a Changeling, but he's still a fantastic observer of human(oid) behavior and that makes him a brilliant investigator. Odo expertly discovers who the real Changeling is.

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Problems
None

Factoids
- This is the first episode that features the inside of a Jem'Hadar ship.
- This episode establishes that Jem'Hadar weapons unleash an anticoagulant in the victim's blood so that the bleeding never stops.

Remarkable Scenes
- The crew all baffled at the technology and layout on the Jem'Hadar ship.
- The Vorta commander contacting Sisko and their subsequent first in-person meeting.
- Worf and O'Brien arguing about how everyone is treating injured Muniz.
- Jadzia, speculating what the Vorta is looking for aboard the ship: "Maybe she lost an earring."
- Worf: "Commander." Dax: "What is it?" Worf: "It may have been the Vorta's computer console. I found it in one of the upper compartments. But the power grid is offline in that part of the ship." Dax: "So you ripped it out of the wall. Very nice! So what do we do with it now, use it for a doorstop?"
- The Vorta and Sisko's meeting again after the founder died.
- Worf and O'Brien honoring Muniz together in the end.

My Review
A Jem'Hadar ship crashes before Sisko's eyes. A fantastic opportunity to explore the Dominion from within; used well in this episode. Muniz was a great temporary character; I really loved his interactions with O'Brien. He does, of course, suffer from redshirt syndrome, but the coolness of the episode kind of offsets that. The female Vorta is a very cool character, I absolutely loved her. I wish we could have seen more of her. The sad ending is nicely done; the two sides have become so distrusting of one another that cooperating is now impossible. Episodes like DS9: To The Death will apparently never happen again. Sad, but also very cool, Starfleet has scored a Jem'Hadar warship! Awesome!

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Problems
None

Factoids
- This episode is a candidate for my "Best Episode of DS9 Award."

Remarkable Scenes
- Julian eavesdropping on the "battling O'Briens".
- Worf: "I prefer traditional opera performed in the traditional manner." Dax: "You know, for a Klingon who was raised by humans, wears a Starfleet uniform, and drinks prune juice, you're pretty attached to tradition. But that's okay. I like a man riddled with contradictions."
- Worf in love at first sight when he sees a Klingon woman board the station.
- Worf's reaction to seeing Grilka embrace Quark.
- Bashir and O'Brien discussing O'Brien and Kira growing ever so close. ;)
- Worf attempting to court Grilka.
- Quark talking to Dax about Grilka right in front of Worf.
- Worf: "It is customary among her people that the man bring a leg of lingh'ta on the first courtship dinner. Make sure it's fresh, as if you have just killed it. Then use the leg to sweep aside everything else on the table and declare in a loud voice, 'I have brought you this! From this day, I wish to provide food for you and your house! All I ask is to share your company and do honor to your name!'"
- O'Brien starting to feel as though he's cheating on Keiko.
- Worf listening to Klingon opera very loud on the Defiant's bridge.
- Quark describing his successful dinner with Grilka.
- Quark and Dax reenacting the formation of the Klingon Empire.
- Odo and Kira discussing O'Brien.
- Quark telling Grilka that she's worth more than all the latinum in the quadrant.
- Keiko inadvertently forcing O'Brien and Kira into another uncomfortable situation.
- Jadzia's "idea."
- Quark's puppet battle. Awesome.
- Quark's "Right of Proclamation."
- Jadzia courting Worf.
- O'Brien and Kira finally discussing their "problem." :)
- Quark, Grilka, Worf, and Jadzia all in the infirmary. Gotta love Bashir's reaction.
- Worf laughing. Now that's something you don't see every day.
- Morn Appearances; 1. Worf attacks him.

My Review
A great sequel to DS9: The House of Quark, Worf has fallen in love with Quark's ex-wife. The title of this episode, albeit long, is of course hilarious. This episode is loads and bounds more successful than the first. The various love related character threads floating around in this episode are wonderfully done. Quark pursues Grilka, Worf pursues her too, Dax pursues Worf, and O'Brien and Kira pursue each other, though they don't entirely know it for a while. ;) I don't normally grant ratings of ten to humor episodes, but this one so incredibly profound that exceptions must be made sometimes. While I probably would never grant a humor centric episode such as this the "best episode of [insert Trek show here] award", I still would place this episode on the list of must see episodes for anyone sampling the series. Though, I'd say that about any episode I've rated at ten, now would I. :)

Filler Quotient: 2, filler, but an enjoyable episode nevertheless. You can skip this one, but you'd miss out on some fun.
- There's no essential plot or exposition in this episode that renders it unskippable, but it's a decent episode, even though it could have been better.

Problems
None

Factoids
None

Remarkable Scenes
- Bashir boring Jake, then Jake getting excited about going into a combat situation.
- The Ferengi view of pregnancy.
- Jake watching the wounded come in.
- Jake running and finding the dying man.
- The discussion about the preferred method of death.
- Jake's random phaser fire turning him into a hero.

My Review
A decent episode. I'm a bit annoyed that the Klingons are still attacking the Federation. But once you get over that, the episode is pretty intense and emotional. Jake has his first battle experience, gets lucky, and becomes a hero. I rather like the way he was completely honest with himself about everything. And as Sisko said, "everyone sees a little of himself in this."

Filler Quotient: 1, partial filler, but has important continuity. I recommend against skipping this one.
- This episode establishes the Pah-wraiths. who will become highly relevant later. However their relevance, purpose, and backstory can be understood in context later. This episode also establishes Rom's promotion, but that too isn't necessarily an essential detail as it can be understood in context later. Both details, however, while not entirely necessary are still nice bits of texture to actually see established though.

Problems
None

Factoids
None

Remarkable Scenes
- O'Brien meeting a possessed Keiko.
- O'Brien calculating the time various methods of incapacitating Keiko would take.
- O'Brien breaking his glass with his bare hand out of anger at his party.
- O'Brien waking up to a possessed Keiko, briefly forgetting about the possession.
- O'Brien enlisting Rom for his "top secret operation."
- Rom and O'Brien figuring everything out.
- O'Brien using the pah wraith's plan against it.
- Morn Appearances; 1. First scene in Quark's bar. 2. The final scene, Quark's bar while Rom tells Quark about his celebrations for his promotion.

My Review
Another rare episode to mention the fire caves, Keiko was possessed by a Pah-wraith there. One wonders why anyone is allowed to visit such a dangerous place. This is Keiko's episode, which is ironic seeing as how it isn't really her. O'Brien also gets a nice showing; we get to see him interact with his Engineering staff, which kind of like TNG: Lower Decks, is a nice change of pace. I like how Rom figures everything out, proving that he's not as stupid as everyone thinks he is. In fact, he's pretty damn smart; maybe a bit autistic. Oh, and when Dax can't sleep, she scans the wormhole randomly for anomalies. ;)

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- This episode serves as a sequel to TOS: The Trouble with Tribbles and TAS: More Tribbles, More Troubles. Also the scene when Worf falls just short of explaining why TOS Klingons look different is a sort of inadvertent setup for the later episodes of Star Trek Enterprise, Ent: Affliction and Ent: Divergence. And of course this episode is also one of the best and funniest episodes of the entire series and shouldn't be skipped solely for that reason!

Problems
None

Factoids
- This episode is a candidate for my "Best Episode of DS9 Award."
- Kirk was "a menace" because of his repeated temporal violations.
- Emony Dax met Dr. McCoy on Earth and probably had a brief relationship with him when he was a medical student while she was judging a gymnastics competition.
- The intermittent tribbles that fell on Kirk after the initial downpour were actually Sisko and Dax throwing them down the hole. :)
- This episode was nominated for the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.

Remarkable Scenes
- Dax' faux pas, time joke.
- Bashir and O'Brien making fun of the way Worf smells.
- The crew dressing up in retro uniforms.
- Bashir: "I'm a doctor, not an historian." Count 18 for "I'm a doctor, not a (blah)" style lines, which McCoy was famous for.
- Sisko: "In the old days, operations officers wore red and command officers wore gold." Dax: "And women wore less."
- O'Brien and Bashir trying to work a 23rd century turbolift.
- O'Brien's and Bashir's confrontation with a local Engineer.
- Worf describing to Odo the history of Klingons and Tribbles.
- Odo: "Another glorious chapter of Klingon history. Tell me, do they still sing songs of the Great Tribble Hunt?"
- Bashir speaking of a possible predestination paradox surrounding his birth: "I could be my own great grandfather! If I don't meet with her tomorrow I may never be born! I can't wait to get back to Deep Space Nine and see your face when you find out that I never existed!"
- O'Brien mistaking a low ranking officer for Kirk.
- O'Brien, Bashir, and Odo not recognizing 23rd century Klingons and Worf's reaction to it: "They are Klingons, and it is a long story." O'Brien: "What happened? Some kind of genetic engineering?" Bashir: "A viral mutation?" Worf: "We do not discuss it with outsiders."
- The bar fight.
- Dax calculating the exact number of tribbles exactly the way Spock did.
- Sisko meeting Kirk.
- Tribbles all over DS9.
- Morn Appearances; 1. At Quark's, drowning in Tribbles.

My Review
This episode is wonderfully funny. They did a great job making everything look retro; even the characters' hair, along with splicing together scenes from TOS: The Trouble With Tribbles into this episode. Dax is ridiculously nostalgic, Sisko wants to ask Kirk about fighting the Gorn, O'Brien can't figure out all this old technology, Bashir thinks he's his own great grandfather, and Worf feels shame about Klingon history. All very entertaining and probably the biggest fanboy episode ever made.

Filler Quotient: 1, partial filler, but has important continuity. I recommend against skipping this one.
- This episode ends Leeta's relationship with Bashir and begins her relationship with Rom. However, Bashir's relationship with Leeta was previously featured in only one episode (Explorers) and for only a single scene which did not indicate clearly whether or not they would actually ever get together. As such, their breakup is inessential continuity and Leeta's attraction to Rom later on can be understood in context without seeing this episode. Nevertheless, this episode does feature nice texture and character development both for Leeta's love interests as well as the Dax/Worf relationship.

Problems
- How could a "friend of Curzon's" instantly recognize Jadzia?

Factoids
- The Ferengi have 178 different words for rain.

Remarkable Scenes
- Another mention of captain Boday, a Gallamite with a transparent skull.
- Leeta declaring that she's in love with Rom then Quark and Bashir's subsequent reactions.
- Worf telling Jadzia a story in which when he was a child he accidentally killed a human boy during a soccer game.
- Morn Appearances; 1. The first scene, hands a Starfleet officer a flower.

My Review
Another attempt at a humor episode finally sparks a dud. We get to see Dax in some interesting clothing again, but the overall plot is just lacking. Some good continuity and decent details in the episode, like the horgon which caused Worf's faux pas in TNG: Captain's Holiday. Bashir's and Leeta's "relationship" in this episode is wonderfully handled. But the plot concerning Worf and the Essentialists is very poor. The idea is sound, and the opening is well handled, but they quickly become annoying with their childish attacks and petty sabotage and totally fail to make a point concerning the Federation's complacency and overindulgence. To me, despite his redemption in the end, it just seems petty that Worf has to ruin the vacation of hundreds of thousands of people before he can talk to Dax about his relationship with her.

Filler Quotient: 3, bad filler, totally skippable.
- Bashir implies in this episode that Odo is still a Changeling but locked in form somehow. This exposition actually foreshadows events in a later episode, but is a completely inessential detail and not worth the snooze-fest that this episode largely is.

Problems
- During Bashir's initial diagnosis after the opening credits, the computer beeps were consistent with Federation computers, but the voice was of the Cardassian computers.

Factoids
- Kurtwood Smith plays Thrax in this episode. He also plays Annorax in Voy: Year of Hell.

Remarkable Scenes
- Quark gently making fun of Sisko, Garak, and Odo when he offered them jobs.
- Thrax laying into Quark just like Odo would.
- Odo cross examining Thrax pointing out numerous flaws in his investigation.
- Dukat: "Bad manners are the fault of the parent, not the child."
- Bashir revealing that Odo still has biological Changeling qualities.

My Review
Manufactured danger and generic sci fi lend badly to creating original plots. The bulk of the plot is Bajoran nostalgia in the form of a flashback, which we've seen a few too many times already. It seems Garak is finally out of jail for is attempt to commit genocide though. ;)

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- Nog returns to the station in this episode.

Problems
- So Worf commanded the Defiant in Star Trek VIII: First Contact. He and all crew members had the new style uniforms on. But now he's reverted back to the first generation DS9 / Voyager uniforms?

Factoids
- The name of one of Jake's stories is said to be Past Prologue, which is also the name of a DS9 episode in early season 1.

Remarkable Scenes
- Nog's first conversation with Sisko. Hilarious.
- Odo antagonizing Quark with noises.
- Quark and Odo trading insults as they scale down a mountain.
- Rom and Sisko discussing Nog and Jake.
- Quark and Odo coming to blows.
- Quark to Odo: "Don't you get it? I'm not trying to rescue you. I'm taking you along as emergency rations. If you die, I'm going to eat you."
- The scene where Odo and Quark are in the medical bay of the Defiant, telling each other that they meant it when they said they hated each other and the subsequent creepy laughing.
- Morn Appearances; 1. Not show, but Quark mentions that Odo likes to watch Morn eat when they trek up the mountain.

My Review
This is probably the best episode that directly deals with Odo's new humanoid form. Frankly, this kind of episode simply couldn't have been done before Odo was changed into a humanoid, which in my opinion is a good thing. It's nice to see the writers taking advantage of this instead of just pretending he's the same old Odo, which they've already had a tendency to do. This episode thrives on the complex relationship that has developed over the years between Quark and Odo. Their mutual hate is actually a sort of weird mutual friendship. When Odo is injured in this episode, Quark could have easily let him die, but Quark takes Odo with him, carrying both Odo and the transmitter up the mountain using the weak excuse that the only reason he was taking Odo with him was to use him as food when he died. In reality, Quark didn't want Odo to die.

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- Pay close attention to the events of this episode and in particular Sisko's purported visions. This episode features a rare impressive amount of foreshadowing about future episodes.

Problems
- Why hadn't the admiral who contacted Sisko converted to the new uniform code? Or his underling? Why was his underling wearing an old style TNG uniform?

Factoids
- This is the first DS9 episode to feature the uniforms debuted in Star Trek VIII: First Contact.

Remarkable Scenes
- Sisko's instructions to Kira regarding what to tell her concerning why he can't meet with Kai Winn: "Make something up."
- Kassidy's appearance.
- Sisko discovering the lost city.
- Winn: "I was in a Cardassian prison camp for five years. And I can remember each and very beating I suffered. And while you had your weapons to protect you, all I had was my faith and my courage."
- Sisko walking around predicting things.
- Sisko pleading that Bajor not join the Federation.
- Morn Appearances; 1. Quark's bar during the celebration ceremony.

My Review
Sisko has really, truly converted and finally believes he is the Emissary. Sisko turns into quite the prophet in this episode. Most interestingly, he has a vision of locusts swarming over the lost city of Bajor, but they move on. They head towards Cardassia, representing hard times for Cardassia. Bajor would be all right so long as it stood alone, meaning, according to Sisko, so long as it didn't join the Federation yet. Another interesting detail about this episode is Kai Winn as an ally. She was her usual self-serving self, of course, but it was a rare instance when her motives coincided with those of the main cast. This kind of episode has been building up a while. Sisko as the Emissary had to either mean something or not mean something. And there you have it. It meant something.

Filler Quotient: 2, filler, but an enjoyable episode nevertheless. You can skip this one, but you'd miss out on some fun.
- There's no essential plot or exposition in this episode that renders it unskippable, but it's a decent episode, even though it could have been better.

Problems
None

Factoids
- Randy Oglesby, who plays Silaran in this episode, played the twins in DS9: Vortex as well as one of Riva's chorus in TNG: Loud as a Whisper.

Remarkable Scenes
- Worf gently making fun of Jadzia for losing at Tongo.
- Odo: "All you all right?" Kira: "No I'm not all right! I haven't slept in three days, someone is killing my friends, and my back--! Sorry..."
- Lupaza and Furel showing up at Kira's quarters then O'Brien walking into a surprise in his quarters.
- Nog and Jadzia deciphering the messages.
- Kira stealing Odo's list and a Runabout.
- Prin's introduction and his argument with Kira.
- Kira killing Prin.
- Rules of Acquisition; 111. Treat people in your debt like family. Exploit them.

My Review
A fantastic episode for Kira. It's a roller coaster ride of emotions for Kira as someone is killing her friends throughout the episode. Eventually Kira snaps and steals a Runabout, locates the assassin, and confronts him only to be captured by him. The twisted old man attempts to force her to give birth prematurely so that he can kill Kira, but not the baby. The herbs Kira's been taking protect her from his sedative though, and Kira kills her would-be assassin. Nana Visitor has always been a fine actress, but this episode is one of the ones where she really shines. It's easy to get caught up in the drama of it all; a very moving episode.

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- Kira's baby is born in this episode and Odo regains his shapeshifting abilities in this episode.

Problems
- When the baby was born it seems the umbilical cord came pre cut...

Factoids
- The filming of this episode was rather nice. Nana Visitor was actually pregnant during all these episodes. It wasn't fakes. You'll notice in the final scenes of this episode, she wasn't pregnant anymore. They filmed around her real world childbirth!

Remarkable Scenes
- Quark "haggling" with Odo.
- O'Brien's lack of enthusiasm for the delivery ceremony.
- Worf: "Constable, why are you talking to your beverage?"
- Odo fighting with Dr. Mora.
- Dr. Mora: "The first time you did anything like that was when you formed a tentacle to slap my hand from the console." Odo: "I wanted you to stop zapping me."
- Shakaar and O'Brien fighting.
- Odo being uncharacteristically nice to Quark.
- Odo becoming a Changeling again.

My Review
This episode is something of a sequel to DS9: The Alternate. Basically Odo vs. Dr. Mora part 2. Fortunately they (finally) resolved their differences. I was disappointed with DS9: The Alternate; Mora and Odo never settled their differences. Fortunately, this episode makes up for all that one's mistakes. The O'Brien / Shakaar / Keiko / Kira plot was rather childish though. Honestly, I didn't care much for it. In the end, this episode serves the necessary purpose of giving Odo back his shapeshifting abilities. What the hell were they thinking when they removed his ability in the first place? I mean, it made for a dramatic season finale / premiere, but when those episodes were all over, we were left with a much less interesting Odo. Well, we had one decent episode dealing with Odo's newfound humanoid nature (DS9: The Ascent), so at least it served a purpose. Still, it seems as though Odo regaining his shapeshifting ability was somewhat rushed because they couldn't figure out how to use it effectively dramatically. Overall, a rather average episode.

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- On top of being one of the finest episodes of the series, this episode also resolves the Eddington loose thread.

Problems
None

Factoids
- This episode is a candidate for my "Best Episode of DS9 Award."
- This is the first episode in which they use holo projectors instead of a viewscreen for ship communications. Holo projectors won't be used very often after this episode though.
- Odo mentions the encoded Maquis transmission is a heterophonic Breen nursery rhyme.
- Sisko says: "If anyone knows how to keep things cold, it's the Breen."

Remarkable Scenes
- Eddington and Sisko confronting one another in the teaser.
- Eddington's computer virus stunt.
- Odo: "Sir, have you ever reminded Starfleet command that they stationed Eddington here because they didn't trust me?" Sisko: "No." Odo: "Please do."
- The whole Sisko, Dax, and the punching bag scene. Sisko is an awesome character when he's angry.
- O'Brien and Dax briefing Sisko on all the stuff that doesn't work on the Defiant.
- The whole Defiant half roll thing. Cheesy but funny.
- The ambush.
- Eddington attacking a Cardassian evacuation ship forcing Sisko to save the occupants rather than go after Eddington.
- Sisko strolling onto the bridge dispensing orders to begin modifying quantum torpedos so that they can be used to poison Maquis colony atmospheres. I love the bridge crew reaction. Sheer disbelief.
- Sisko getting pissed at the end. The perfect villain.
- Dax: "Benjamin, I'm curious. Your plan to poison the Maquis planets. You didn't clear it with Starfleet first, did you?" Sisko: "I knew I'd forgotten to do something." Dax: "Big gamble." Sisko: "That's what it takes to be a good villain." Dax: "You know, sometimes I like it when the bad guy wins."

My Review
Sisko becomes the villain! And what a villain! This episode is one of many which show us how great an actor Avery Brooks can be, especially when given parts that deal excessively in anger. Avery Brooks' performance in this episode in my opinion even rivals Patrick Stewart's "Moby Dick" scene with Lily in Star Trek VIII: First Contact. The Eddington loose end is finally tied up and this episode wastes none of the showdown potential. An unexpected gem.

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Problems
- Real Bashir is wearing an old style uniform in this episode. This means he must have been replaced while still wearing the old style uniform. If this is true, why didn't the Changeling Bashir kill Sisko in DS9: Rapture? Or prevent the Changeling from dying in DS9: The Begotten, or prevent it from merging with Odo giving him back his shapeshifting ability? Or kill Kira in DS9: The Begotten? It seems obvious that the writers intended Bashir to have been replaced just before this episode began and were using the two uniforms to help viewers distinguish the two characters. But that's no excuse. The audience shouldn't have to come up with this stuff. For the record, Bashir said he was replaced "over a month ago." Take it how you will...

Factoids
- Odo reverts into his gelatinous state when he attempts to sleep.
- Odo is a solid 18 hours a day according to Kira.
- According to Bashir, the Breen have no blood.

Remarkable Scenes
- Worf and Jadzia arguing about Worf not telling her about going into the Gamma Quadrant with Garak.
- Dukat attacking Garak.
- Worf regarding Garak: "At the first sign of betrayal I will kill him, but I promise to return the body intact." Sisko: "I assume that's a joke." Worf: "We'll see."
- Worf: "You want me to sponsor your application to Starfleet Academy?" Garak: "What do you think?" Worf: "I think it is a bad idea." Garak: "Well, I'd write the actual letter myself. I'd just need you to sign it!" Worf: "Find someone else." Garak: "Why? Because I'm a Cardassian? You're a Klingon. Nog is a Ferengi. Starfleet Academy is a very accepting place." Worf: "You are not just a Cardassian. You are a spy, an assassin, and a saboteur." Garak: "I know I've done some unfortunate things in the past and I regret them. That's why I want to join Starfleet, why I need to join Starfleet. I'm looking for a fresh start, a way to make up for all the damage I've done. I need to prove to myself that I can be better than I am. But I need your help. Your support to start me on my way to redemption." Worf: "If that is how you feel, I will consider your request." Garak: "That's all I ask. Frankly, I think I can be quite an asset to Starfleet. With my extensive experience, I could skip the lower ranks entirely and begin my career as a commander! Maybe you should suggest that in your latter. Tell them you'd be honored to serve under me." Worf: "Do not play games with me. You have no desire to join Starfleet, do you?" Garak: "No, I'm afraid I don't." Worf: "Then why all of this deception?" Garak: "Because lying is a skill like any other and if you want to maintain a level of excellence you have to practice constantly." Worf: "Practice on someone else." Garak: "Mr. Worf, you're no fun at all." Worf: "Good."
- Garak: "I'd like to get my hands on that fellow Earl Grey and tell him a thing or two about tea leaves." Garak insulting Picard's favorite tea. ;)
- The huge fleet of Jem'Hadar ships.
- The revelation that Enabran Tain is Garak's father. I like how Garak let Bashir hear this private conversation.
- The huge Dominion fleet coming through the wormhole.
- Morn Appearances; 1. In the background when Dukat attacks Garak.

My Review
A classic DS9 episode, this episode features a plethora of major events and revelations. Bashir is a Changeling, the Enabran Tain is Garak's father, Tain dies, and the Dominion invades the Alpha Quadrant. The episode even has a cool name. There is only one thing I don't like about this episode and it's the technical problem I listed in the problems section. That's got to be one of DS9's most annoying technical problems. Overall, a great start to the two parter with a magnificent cliffhanger.

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Problems
- Exactly why did the Dominion leave that Runabout in orbit so Bashir, Worf, Martok, Garak, et al could escape? This problem is later resolved in DS9: Inquisition. Bashir says the Dominion didn't think they'd be able to contact the Runabout. Nevertheless, that was pretty damn sloppy of them, huh?

Factoids
- When Garak is talking to himself, he mentions, "This isn't like Tsenketh." This means Garak might have once been on the Tsenkethi home world as an Obsidian Order agent.
- Worf is shot during transport in this episode but it seems the transporter beam was able to protect him.
- Jadzia in this episode establishes that going to warp inside a planetary system is infrequently done because it's too dangerous.
- According to Bashir's and O'Brien's conversation, Changeling Bashir had been operating aboard the station for four weeks.

Remarkable Scenes
- Dukat joining the Dominion fleet.
- Worf fighting the Jem'Hadar matches.
- Gowron resigning the Khitomer Accords.
- Dukat threatening to take back Deep Space Nine.
- Martok: "There is no greater enemy than one's own fears." Worf: "It takes a brave man to face them."
- O'Brien: "We're facing a major inter-stellar war and you're thinking about darts?"
- Quark: "The Jem'Hadar don't eat, don't drink, and they don't have sex. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Founders don't eat, don't drink, and don't have sex either. Which between you and me makes my financial future less than promising." Ziyal: "It might not be so bad. For all we know, the Vorta could be gluttonous, alcoholic, sex maniacs."
- The Romulans joining the Federation and Klingon task force.
- The Breen firing at a Jem'Hadar while the Jem'Hadar fires at him. They vaporize each other! Awesome.
- Romulan: "My people have a saying: 'Never turn your back on a Breen.'"
- Worf refusing to yield.
- Jem'Hadar: "I cannot defeat this Klingon. All I can do is kill him. And that no longer holds my interest."
- The Defiant going to warp within the Bajoran system, destroying Changeling Bashir's Runabout bomb.

My Review
More major events. The Dominion hasn't in fact invaded. Cardassia has joined the Dominion. So the Dominion is legally moving in. Dukat's betrayal isn't particularly unexpected. But I'm with Kira. The next time she sees Dukat, should kill him. :) More episode name coolness, though even more than the cool name I like the cool connection between this episode and the previous one. Rather than Episode Name, Part I and Episode Name, Part II, we have In Purgatory's Shadow and By Inferno's Light. The two episode names are kind of opposites of each other. Very clever. There are some annoying things though, keeping the episode from being worth a perfect score. Firstly, another very annoying technical problem. Why did the Dominion leave the Runabout in orbit so everyone in the prison camp could escape so easily? Secondly, it was rather convenient that the Yukon had nothing but redshirts on it so no important characters had to be placed in jeopardy. *rolls eyes* One final note, I found it interesting that the Romulans joined the Federation and Klingon task force in this episode. It's very consistent with their behavior. We already knew they didn't particularly like the Dominion when they gave a cloaking device to the Federation for the Defiant. Now they finally show their teeth to the Dominion!

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Problems
None

Factoids
- According to Bashir, he hasn't been home in three years.
- This is another rare episode to feature the use of a holo projector.
- Julian's parents are imprisoned in a minimum security penal colony in New Zealand for two years. Maybe the same one Tom Paris was in in Voy: Caretaker?

Remarkable Scenes
- Rom chickening out in front of Leeta.
- Zimmerman's appearance.
- Zimmerman activating the EMH. I like how it starts complaining the minute it's activated. :)
- The interviews. I especially like how O'Brien didn't want Zimmerman to tell Bashir how much respect he has for him. :)
- Bashir's parents showing up. I loved Bashir's reaction to seeing them.
- O'Brien walking holographic Julian into walls. :)
- Zimmerman: "You said you liked cerebral men. And at the risk of sounding immodest, I have a towering intellect!"
- Bashir's parents accidentally divulging their "little secret" to holographic Bashir.
- Bashir telling O'Brien the history of his genetic engineering.
- Quark: "Remember what happened with Nog's mother? Yeah. Don't want to think about her, do you? Let me refresh your memory. You signed a standard five year marriage contract with Prinadora's father because you wanted to have a child. A simple every day business deal. But then you fell in love with your wife and wanted to extend the contract. And you were so in love that you never bothered to read the extension before signing it. So in the end, her father swindled you out of all your money. Prinadora left you for a richer man. And you got stuck with Nog. Hooray for romance."
- Bashir: "No. You used to be my father. Now, you're my architect. A man who designed a better son. To replace the defective one he was given."
- The admiral: "200 years ago we tried to improve the species through DNA resequencing. And what did we get for our troubles? The Eugenics wars. For every Julian Bashir that can be created there's a Khan Singh waiting in the wings."
- Rom finally working up the courage to ask Leeta out.
- Zimmerman: "True love should always win."
- O'Brien discovering that Bashir has been letting him win at darts to keep it looking fair. When O'Brien tells him to "really play," Bashir scores 3 bulls-eyes with ease. :)
- Morn Appearances; 1. The first scene. 2. Kisses Leeta. She pushes him away. 3. Is interviewed by Zimmerman. Does not speak. He shrugs. :) 4. Playing Dabo toward the end just before O'Brien discovers Bashir was letting him win.

My Review
This is the first episode in which we get to meet the real Dr. Zimmerman. One of the funniest and quirkiest characters ever introduced on Star Trek. This episode also features some great story for the ever neglected Rom character. You can really get a sense in this episode of how quasi-autistic Rom can be. He's a mechanical genius with zero social skills. I love how Leeta was in love with Rom and Rom was in love with Leeta, but she was waiting for him to make the first move and he was too shy to do it. Almost torturous to watch! :) Additionally, this subplot features great continuity with DS9: Let He Who Is Without Sin... when Leeta first announced she was in love with Rom. I was wondering if they were going to pick up on this. The main plot, however, is the shining star. Not only do we get fascinating character development for Bashir, but we get to see the ever so rarely featured and fascinating Louis Zimmerman character. A very nicely constructed episode.

Filler Quotient: 3, bad filler, totally skippable.
- No significant exposition, events, or consequences. And a lame episode on top of that.

Problems
None

Factoids
None

Remarkable Scenes
- Arissa: "You mean you're just doing this out of the kindness of your heart?" Odo: "I don't have a heart."
- Odo showing up during Bashir's holo suite program.
- O'Brien taking advantage of Odo's interruption and cornering Bashir.
- The senior staff gossiping about Odo.
- Morn Appearances; 1. At the bar when Quark is trying to sell stuff to Arissa. 2. Quark locks him in the bar when he goes to close it down accidentally.

My Review
Another Odo episode. It seems for some reason Odo centric episodes are always relatively boring detective episodes. In this case, a girl trying to flee the Orion Syndicate, with whom Odo falls in love. Except the girl is actually a sleeper spy, who happens to be married. And that's about it. Quite underwhelming.

Filler Quotient: 2, filler, but an enjoyable episode nevertheless. You can skip this one, but you'd miss out on some fun.
- No significant exposition, events, or consequences, but a decent story nevertheless.

Problems
None

Factoids
- This is the first episode in which we get to meet the much mentioned but never before seen Gaila, Quark's cousin.

Remarkable Scenes
- Sisko threatening Quark.
- Bashir's diagnosis for Yoshi: "Perhaps he's become prematurely aware of life's existential isolation."
- The whole whispering scene between O'Brien and Sisko in ops.
- Rules of Acquisition; 67. The riskier the road the greater the profit.
- Morn Appearances; 1. Sitting near Quark while he checks for Odo. 2. Sleeping at Quark's bar while Quark complains about the lack of customers.

My Review
Hagath to me was the star of the show here. A brilliant character played by a talented actor. Besides that, the episode is fairly routine, even a little boring. Quark's financial situation certainly was not enough to hold my interest, frankly O'Brien's side plot was more interesting and amusing. Especially the scene near the end with Worf.

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- This episode is a sequel to DS9: Second Skin, in which Legate Ghemor was Kira's "father" of sorts. It's also the episode which establishes that the Vorta are expert cloners, which explains how Weyoun could return after having died in DS9: To the Death.

Problems
- In DS9: By Inferno's Light, Kira said the next time she saw Dukat, she was going to kill him. She had the perfect opportunity to do so in this episode. I guess she was just angry in DS9: By Inferno's Light and didn't really mean it.

Factoids
None

Remarkable Scenes
- Worf: "Cardassian politics are very complex." Dax: "I think they like it that way."
- Dukat's conversation with Sisko.
- Kira's flashbacks.
- The Jem'Hadar battleship arriving at the station.
- Weyoun 5's appearance.
- Dukat showing up at Kira's quarters.
- Sisko confronting Dukat about the poison Kanar.
- Weyoun: "How delightful! The mysterious plots, the subtle innuendos, the failed threats, it's all so entertaining." Weyoun picks up the poisonous glass of Kanar and drinks it. The look on Sisko's and Dukat's face at this point is priceless. Weyoun: "Oh my. That is quite toxic, isn't it?" Dukat: "Are you insane?" Weyoun: "The Vorta are immune to most forms of poison. Comes in handy when you're a diplomat."
- Kira: "They kill us, we kill them. It's nothing worth celebrating."
- Kira's emotional scene in the end with Bashir.

My Review
This episode features some very good drama. Picking up where DS9: Second Skin left off, Kira is reunited with Legate Ghemor. Unfortunately, he's dying. But before he dies, he wants to divulge Cardassian secrets to Kira. Dukat, knowing this, shows up to try and stop him from doing so. He meets with zero success. While many of Dukat's and Weyoun's scenes were entertaining, their involvement in the story ended up being largely pointless. It would have been nice if they tried a bit harder. All in all, this is Kira's episode. And she does a fantastic job acting it. Very moving.

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- As silly as the story can be at times, the events are all quite significant have important long term consequences down the road.

Problems
None

Factoids
None

Remarkable Scenes
- Zek losing his memory and math skills.
- Rules of Acquisition; 18. A Ferengi without profit is no Ferengi at all. 94. Females and finances don't mix. 208. Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question an answer. 229. Latinum lasts longer than lust.
- Morn Appearances; 1. Buys a jumja stick from Leeta, who is running the kiosk.

My Review
So Zek and Quark's mother are in love. And Quark's mother has been giving Zek financial advice for god knows how long. Brunt discovers this and tries to grab power. Overall this Ferengi episode is more silly than most, but ironically, more important than most too. It picks up on where many previous episodes left off and gives Quark an even deeper connection to the Nagus as well as the return of his business license. Unfortunately, I just didn't like this episode at all. The comedy wasn't very effective and the story relied too much on it. A final note, I wonder what the writers' fetish for Quark's closet was for in this episode? It seemed to exemplify the overall silliness.

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- This is the first episode to feature the Rotarran and Martok's command of the vessel. It's also the episode in which Worf joins the House of Martok.

Problems
None

Factoids
- According to the Klingon calendar, the date in this episode was the 53rd day of the year of Kahless 999.

Remarkable Scenes
- Martok ranting about his insight into the Jem'Hadar.
- Worf challenging Martok.
- The Klingons singing into battle.
- Bashir lamenting about the intelligence business.
- The revelation that Worf lost the fight on purpose so that Martok would regain his vigor.

My Review
A Klingon ship and her crew are the center of attention for the first time in a long while and never has it been done so well. This episode features many nice details, but some remarkable ones are the crew of the Rotarran herself; an eclectic and believable group of demoralized Klingons. Plus the Rotarran itself; we get many beautiful CG renderings of the breathtaking bird of prey. My only complaint is we don't get to see the Rotarran battle the Jem'Hadar, which would have been nice. Besides that, an excellent episode.

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- This episode is a must-see for the Kira/Odo relationship stuff, all of which has consequences deep into the rest of the series.

Problems
- The entire plot of this episode is undermined by the observer effect. The crew's descendants were doomed the very minute they interacted with the people whose actions presuppose their entire existence. Even if the crew had gone back in time to found the colony, it would not be possible for them to go on to create identical descendants to those they had already met because the very act of meeting their hypothetical descendants would have slightly altered the outcome leading to different descendants.

Factoids
None

Remarkable Scenes
- Boy: "Are you the son of Mogh?" Worf: "Yes, I am." Boy: "Is it true you can kill someone just by looking at them." Worf: "Only when I am angry."
- Time displaced Odo's appearance. Odo: "I love you Nerys. I've always loved you." About fricken time.
- The sons of Mogh.
- The revelation that Yedrin wasn't trying to help but recreate the accident.
- Brota to Worf: "Last year I slew a Yar bear three meters tall. Your Mak'leth was my only weapon. The beast maimed me and for a time it seemed I would die from my wounds. Now I wish I had. It would have been a warrior's death."
- The whole communal planting thing. A bit too hunky dory for me in Star Trek, but moving nonetheless.
- Sisko: "They existed. As long as we remember them, they always will."
- The revelation that Odo and the other Odo linked and that the other Odo was responsible for sabotaging the flight plan.

My Review
A decent reset button-style episode with a lot of wasted potential. It tries to be like DS9: The Visitor but on a larger scale but unfortunately it doesn't quite work. The two episodes are nearly identical in cause, effect, and implications, but this episode puts the whole experience over the top. Life is full of choices that lead to many other possible realities that will never exist as a consequence of your choice. Which of your lovers will you marry? Should you have sympathy for the children who will never be born because you didn't marry any of your other lovers? Of course not. But that's what this episode is asking us to do. The difference between "killing" and "never existing" is a subtle, but important one. Sisko's crew had every right to want to leave that planet and deny existence to their hypothetical descendants. I don't care if their hypothetical descendants could see, and talk, and feel things as a consequence of a time travel paradox. They don't deserve to exist at the expense of Sisko's crew's suffering. The episode failed to fully explore that moral dilemma, but what's worse is the entire debate is moot anyway because due to the observer effect, those descendants were doomed the moment Sisko met any of them to begin with regardless of whether or not he had succeeded in recreating the time travel and crash landing. The fact that they had already met their descendants would mean that they were slightly different people than the original version of the crew that never had that experience. As such, events the second time around would be slightly different, leading to entirely different descendants. All in all, it was a decent, moving episode, but way more could have been done with it.

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- This episode is the conclusion to the Eddington and Maquis arcs.

Problems
None

Factoids
None

Remarkable Scenes
- Nog complaining about working security and dealing with the Klingons. This is actually a good connection with DS9: Soldiers of the Empire when Nog complained about Worf and Martok standing in his way.
- Sisko's meeting with Eddington.
- Kira: "I was in the Bajoran shrine meditating and he bursts in, stark naked, fell to his knees crying out to the prophets for protection." Bashir: "Morn of all people. Who would think he'd just snap like that?"
- Odo: "And that's when Morn hit you with a barstool and ran out onto the promenade screaming 'we're all doomed!'"
- Eddington and Sisko arguing on the Runabout.
- Sisko forcing Eddington to help him by getting a Raktajino while two Jem'Hadar ships attack.
- Eddington declaring his intentions to kill Sisko.
- Nog impressing Martok.
- Sisko slugging Eddington for lying to him again.
- Eddington getting himself killed.
- Sisko and Dax discussing Eddington.
- Morn Appearances; 1. Not shown, but mentioned in the beginning as having attacked Quark.

My Review
The perfect final cameo for Michael Eddington. Instead of being defeated and depressed in prison for the rest of his life, he gets one last chance to fight for the Maquis, and he goes down in a blaze of glory. This episode is a tale of rivalry, intrigue, and deception, like any good Maquis story. And for once, Sisko expresses sympathy and even respect for them. This episode represents closure for the entire Maquis arc. We find out what happened to Sisko's friend Cal Hudson; he died fighting for the Maquis. Eddington dies in this episode, and we're told for sure what we thought would happen all along, the Dominion has wiped out the Maquis. There couldn't be a more suitable end to the Maquis arc. Tragic, but moving.

Filler Quotient: 1, partial filler, but has important continuity. I recommend against skipping this one.
- This episode features some minor, but fun continuity that will be somewhat relevant later: Nog's experience with Garak will have a lasting impact on his opinion of Garak and this episode is of course the first episode to feature Empok Nor which will later recur.

Problems
None

Factoids
- Empok Nor was abandoned about a year before this episode.

Remarkable Scenes
- Garak: "Well it's just that lately I've noticed everyone seems to trust me. It's quite unnerving. I'm still trying to get used to it."
- The detached Runabout drifting away then exploding.
- Pechetti admiring Cardassian military insignia, suddenly being killed by one of the Cardassian assassins. The scene looked straight out of a horror film to me.
- Garak starting to act a little weird.
- Garak assassinating the Cardassians, then turning to Amaro.
- Garak fighting O'Brien.
- Morn Appearances; 1. First scene, sitting at the bar.

My Review
DS9 does horror. Drugged Cardassians moving about, killing people, Garak going psycho, killing people. All very dark stuff. Well, there are good things and bad things about this episode. First, the bad stuff. No less than four redshirts died needlessly. Thankfully, their deaths were not completely meaningless nor forgotten immediately. Second, this entire mission was manufactured danger. It seems highly unlikely that Starfleet couldn't have manufactured the necessary replacement parts rather than plummeting six of its officers (and Garak) into needless danger. The Jem'Hadar threat alone is enough to not want to undertake such a reckless mission, much less this drugged Cardassians part. In the episode's favor are the four redshirts. They may have died needlessly, but their contribution to the story was great. I loved all four of them, especially Pechetti and his emblem obsession. I always like seeing O'Brien take charge of a situation; he's a great leader. And as always, Garak is a fascinating character. One final comment, why was Empok Nor constantly shown tilted in external shots?

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- Weyoun's offer of peace to Bajor is a major plot event which sets up events in the next episode and beyond.

Problems
- When Nog reads the list of the crazy old scientist's demands, it says 2 liters of anaerobic metabolite. When they present this request to Bashir, he says it's 5.

Factoids
None

Remarkable Scenes
- Sisko's "party."
- Jake being outbid at the auction.
- Sisko being nasty with Weyoun.
- Jake and Nog meeting with Dr. Giger.
- Bashir lamenting about Leeta having his teddy bear.
- Nog sneaking into Leeta's quarters and taking the teddy bear as she slept.
- Weyoun and the Jem'Hadar investigating what is going on in the quarters below them... where Dr. Giger lives.
- Nog listening to Worf's Klingon opera extremely loud.
- Nog: "Maybe the soulless minions of orthodoxy finally caught up with him." Odo: "The who?" Jake: "We don't know who they are, but they were after Dr. Giger's cellular regeneration and entertainment chamber." Odo: "His what?"
- Kai Winn rejecting Weyoun's pleasantries, just like Sisko.
- Nog and Jake beamed to the Dominion ship.
- Weyoun confronting Nog and Jake.
- Jake's time travel story.
- Weyoun and Dr. Giger hitting it off on the immortality topic.
- Sisko: "Even in the darkest moments, you can always find something that will make you smile."
- Morn Appearances; 1. Quarks bar behind Jake and Nog. 2. At the auction. 3. After the auction, walking out with a painting.

My Review
This episode is an unexpected bout of brilliance with regards to the writing. Jake and Nog's quest to acquire a baseball card to cheer up Sisko has the unintended effect of cheering up everyone on the station. I love the part when Sisko makes his log and the camera pans by all the major characters Nog and Jake have helped in their quest to get the baseball card. I don't quite know how else to put it, but this is one of those quirky kind of episodes that works really well. The writers managed to make a humor episode that wasn't silly, even when they included Weyoun and the Jem'Hadar directly into the humorous plot! I'm impressed, I must say.

Filler Quotient: 0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- Numerous major long term plot threads are serviced here.

Problems
- So when did the Runabouts leave the station?

Factoids
- This episode is a candidate for my "Best Episode of DS9 Award."

Remarkable Scenes
- Quark: "Any marriage where the female is allowed to speak and wear clothing is doomed to failure."
- Another Jem'Hadar convoy coming through the wormhole.
- Nog discovering that the Romulans signed a non aggression treaty with the Dominion.
- The whole briefing room scene where Sisko decides to mine the wormhole.
- O'Brien, Dax, and Rom discussing how to mine the wormhole. I love how Rom was able to think about his wedding and come up with a genius idea for the mines at the same time.
- Odo and Kira addressing their discomfort with each other.
- Kira: "So for now, all we need to concern ourselves with is deploying the minefield, maintaining station security, and preparing ourselves for a possible invasion." Odo: "Well I don't know about you, but I feel more comfortable already."
- Sisko's confrontation with Weyoun.
- Bashir: "You don't think Starfleet could be persuaded to send us a few more ships, say, fifty?"
- Garak: "I must say, constable, I admire your composure. You're an island of tranquility in a sea of chaos." Odo: "What I am is useless. My entire staff has been evacuated to Bajor."
- The Dominion fleet attacking the station.
- The minefield being deployed.
- Sisko evacuating DS9.
- Jadzia announcing she will marry Worf.
- Sisko's goodbye speech.
- Sisko: "I promise I will not rest until I stand with you again... here, in this place where I belong."
- Kira running Sisko's program to sabotage the station. Kira: "Dukat wanted the station back? He can have it."
- The revelation that Jake is still aboard the station.
- Dax: "We should rendezvous with the Federation task force in 48 hours." Bashir: "And then what?" Nog: "And then we make the Dominion sorry they ever set foot in the Alpha Quadrant." Sisko: "Cadet, you took the words right out of my mouth."
- The scene when Kira, Odo, and Quark welcome aboard Dukat, Damar, Weyoun, and the Jem'Hadar.
- Dukat correctly interpreting the reason why Sisko left the baseball in his office.
- The Rotarran and the Defiant joining the Federation-Klingon task force.
- Rules of Acquisition; 190. Hear all. Trust nothing.
- Morn Appearances; 1. In the crowd when Sisko gives his goodbye speech. 2. In Quark's bar after the Federation personnel evacuate.

My Review
Quite possibly one of the best DS9 episodes ever done. Yes, here is where the Dominion war finally, really begins. Numerous major events and major character developments happen here. For one, Rom marries Leeta. Proving that Rom has come a long way from being Quark's second in command, a B-list Ferengi. Now he's married to a beautiful woman. And his technical genius is put to its best use in this episode by O'Brien and Dax. Speaking of Dax, Jadzia and Worf get engaged in this episode. It's interesting to note that it probably wouldn't have happened so soon without the war. Kira and Odo finally deal with their feelings for each other, at least to a certain extent. And then there's Jake. Jake finally got a job! He's a news reporter for the Federation news service. In accordance with his new job, he decided to remain aboard DS9 to report on the ensuing events. His father, furious, finally has to admit that Jake has become a man and can make these decisions for himself. Sisko's speech as he leaves the station is wonderful. Just when Sisko was finally beginning to like his job as commander of DS9 and his appointment as Emissary of the Prophets, it is all ripped away from him. At the beginning of the show, all Sisko wanted to do was get out of there. Now it greatly pains him to leave. Between the political intrigue, the space battle, and the captivating villains, this episode takes advantage of everything the five seasons of buildup has to offer. Truly spectacular, and with a cool episode name to boot.